Aside from criminal charges, administrative cases will also be filed against a police sergeant in Cauayan City, Isabela who allegedly tried to extort money from the family of an arrested drug suspect, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar assured.
Eleazar said that he had already ordered the start of the summary proceedings against Police MSgt. Sherwin Gamit, who is assigned to the warrant section of the Cauayan City Police. He was arrested for robbery-extortion and for illegal possession of firearms.
“Matapos ang isinagawang entrapment operation dahil sa reklamong nangingikil si Police Master Sergeant Sherwin Gamit sa pamilya ng isang nahuling drug suspect, inutusan ko na ang RD, PRO-2 na umpisahan na ang proseso ng administrative case upang tuluyan nang matanggal sa serbisyo ang pulis na ito,” Eleazar said.
“Sa kabila ng paulit-ulit nating babala, patuloy ang pananamantala at kalokohan ng ilan naming kasamahan kaya tinitiyak ko rin sa ating mga kababayan na patuloy ang aming agresibong kampanya upang walisin ang mga ganitong klaseng pulis sa aming hanay,” the Chief PNP added.
Gamit was caught by operatives of the PNP-Regional Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Team, Isabela Police Intelligence Unit, and the Cauayan Police receiving P300,000 marked money from the female relative of a drug suspect.
The money is supposedly for “fixing” the case of the drug suspect.
Authorities seized the marked money, a caliber .22 handgun without serial numbers, and a caliber 9mm police service firearm with three loaded magazines from the accused cop.
Aside from those, cash worth P5,055, assorted receipts, a PNP identification card, ATM cards, and a black leather ID case were also confiscated from him.
Gamit is already under police custody as charges against him are being readied.
Since July 2016, more than 5,200 policemen were already dismissed from the service while at least 18,000 more were penalized as part of the aggressive internal cleansing and instituting discipline in the PNP ranks.
“We need the help of our kababayan on this goal that is why we are continuously encouraging the public to report to us any abuse and wrongdoing being committed by our men and I assure you of our swift action,” Eleazar said.
“Ang ating pananahimik at pagsasawalang-bahala sa mga kalokohan ng mga ganitong uri ng pulis ay nagpapalakas lang ng loob nila na magpatuloy sa kanilang mga maling gawain,” the Chief PNP added.
He said the public can report to the PNP via the PNP’s Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group or through the PNP’s E-Sumbong. (PNP-PIO) – bny
